Dye jig



Dec. 28, 1954 B. J. FLANAGAN ETAL 2,697,928

DYE Jrs Filed Sept. '1. 195o mrl @JFMNAGAN #MUM/ALL.

United States Patent O DYE JIG Bernard Joseph Flanagan and Harold Mulhall, Spondon, near Derby, England, assignors to British Celanese Limited, a corporation of Great Britain Application September 7, 1950, Serial No. 183,600

Claims priority, application Great Britain September 22, 1949 This invention relates to apparatus for handling textile fabrics, in which a textile fabric is wound into a roll, as for example in the case of a dyeing jig.

The selvedge of a textile fabric is usually somewhat thicker than the main fabric. In consequence, when winding the fabric into a roll the latter tends to build up more rapidly at the ends than at the mid portion with the result that the selvedges of fabric are tensioned more than the mid portion and so become stretched to a greater de gree. The fabric is thus distorted and may no longer lie liat upon unrolling. The distortion may be such that the distorted fabric creases on re-winding; the distortion becomes progressively worse each time the winding is repeated as in processing a fabric upon a dye jig. A conventional dye jig comprises a receptacle for the dye liquor or other treatment liquid above which are mounted a pair of rolls which can be driven alternately so as to unwind a textile fabric from one roll and wind it upon the other after passing through the liquor. A suitable fabric guide, usually a roller is disposed in the liquor container and in addition it is usual toA provide a fabric expander device to ensure that the fabric is led to the winding roller free from longitudinal creases. The expander device may be in the form of a bar transverse with respect to the moving fabric and pressing against the latter. The desired expanding action on the fabric may be secured by the use of a barconsisting of a freely rotatable roller curved in the direction of its length or a straight bar provided with helical ridges, the ridges on one side of the centre being of opposite direction to those on the other side and such that the fabric passing over them is urged sideways towards the appropriate end of the bar. Often a single expander bar is provided, being carried by arms pivoted about a supporting rod above and midway between the jig rolls. By means of a suitable weighted lever the bar can be urged towards one jig roll or the other according to the direction in which the fabric is travelling.

`In using such a jig, if the fabric is wound evenly on the rolls, the ends of the rolls tend to build up more rapidly than the inner portion with the result that the selvedges of the fabric are stretched relative to the main body of the fabric and hence the fabric is distorted, the distortion being greater towards the outside of the built up roll. Upon reversing the jig so as to windthe fabric upon the other roll the more distorted portion is the first to be wound upon the empty roll and it is very dicult to avoid creasing, notwithstanding the presence of the expander bar. The thicker the selvedge relative to the main body of the fabric, the greater the tendency to distortion and creasing.

We have noted that if during the winding of a roll of fabric, as for example on a dye jig, the fabric is traversed to and fro slightly so that the selvedge no longer builds up at one spot, distortion of the fabric can be substantially eliminated, and, in the case of a dye jig, the difficulties referred to above are substantially avoided.

The present invention is concerned with apparatus for achieving this desirable result. According to the present invention a fabric winding device comprises a driven roll, an expander bar for expanding to its full width a fabric as the latter is fed to and wound on the roll, and means for traversing the expander bar to and fro simultaneously with the rotation of the roll. The extent of the traverse may be quite small for example 1/2 to 1 inch. The'effect of traversing the expander bar is to stagger the winding ICC of the fabric on the roll; the extent of the stagger is usually rather less than the traverse of the expander bar, for example about two-thirds of the latter but this depends to some extent on the character of the fabric and its selvedges. The extent of stagger desirable in any particular case likewise depends on the fabric but the degree indicated above is suitable for a wide range of commercial fabrics. As regards the relative rate of traverse, of the order of one cycle of traverse, i. e. one complete oscillation of the expander bar, pre revolution of the winding roll has been found convenient. However, the relative rates of traverse and revolution of the winding roll should not be exactly 1:1 and preferably should bear no simple numerical ratio one to another since otherwise the desirable random staggering of the selvedges of the fabric throughout the roll may not be achieved. Very satisfactory results can be obtained with one complete oscillation of the expander bar, i. e. one complete cycle of traverse, per 1.25 to 2.5 revolu tions e. g. 1.75 revolutions, of the winding roller.

The invention is particularly applicable to dye jigs. In this case the expander bar support may be provided with traversing mechanism, for example a cam freely rotatable about the expander support, in co-operation with a cam follower attached to the expander bar support so as to impart axial movement to the latter on rotation of the cam. The cam may be driven from a convenient point on the jig.

The curved roller type of expander bar requires that the roller be of articulated or other ilexible form of construction. Thus it may comprise a rod of suitable curvature (e. g. so that the centre is displaced 1" to lVz" from the straight line joining the ends in the case of an expander bar about 60 long) having threaded thereon a series of short bobbins each axially bored and with the bore enlarged over the centre portion to permit free rotation on the curved rod. The outer peripheries of the bobbins are provided with a continuous sleeve, of rubber or other liexible material, extending over the length of the series of bobbins. Each bobbin may be externally of barrel shape. When a roller of this kind is rotated about its curved axis the flexible covering is extended longitudinally as the periphery passes from the inside of the curve to the outside. In use the roller is pressed against the fabric so that the latter ceases to contact the periphery at a point where the latter is extended to a greater extent than at the point where the fabric first makes contact with the periphery.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to its application to a dye jig as shown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is an end elevation of the jig while Figure 2 is a plan View. Figure 3 shows in section one end of the expander bar. The jig body is of the conventional construction and is generally indicated at 1. The main jigs rolls 2 and 3 are carried by shafts 4 and 5 journalled in bearings 6. The shafts 4 and 5 carry the usual brake drums 7 and 8 and can be driven alternately at the ends remote from the brake drums by means not shown. 9, 9, 9 are the usual rollers (not shown in Figure 2) for guiding a fabric 10 from the roller 2 to the roll 3 (or vice versa) through a treatment liquid in which the lower of the rolls 9 is immersed. An expander bar 11 is rigidly attached to arms 12 pivotally carried by a shaft 13 itself mounted in brackets 14 so as to be slidable longitudinally. Studs 15 project outwardly from the arms 12. T-shaped members 16 having arms 17, 18 and 19 are also pivotally mounted on the shaft 13. The arms 17 of the Ts 16 carry a bar 20 supporting weights 21 so that the arms 19 of the Ts are urged against the studs 15 and so press the expander bar 11 against the fabric 10 being wound on to the roll 3.

By swinging the arms 17 and associated bar 20 and weights 21 over towards the roll 3 the arms 18 engage the studs 15 and press the expander bar towards the roll 2 and against the fabric 10 when the latter is being wound upon the roll 2.

The shaft 13 carries a freely rotatable sleeve 23 attached to a driving pulley 24 and a cam 25. The cam 2S engages a cam follower comprising a pair of rollers 26 freely rotatable upon pins attached to and having their axes at right angles to the shaft 13. Rotation of the cam 25, in association with a return spring 27, imparts a longitudinal to and fro movement to the shaft 13 and so to the arms 12 and the expander bar 11. Rotation of the cam 25 is effected from the shaft 4 via. a manually operable dog clutch 28, pulley 30, and V belt 31, and pulley 24 already referred to.

The expander bar 11 comprises a stainless steel rod 32 rigidly attached at its ends to the arms 12 by grub screws 33. The rod 32 is slightly curved in the plane of the arms. 12 and in the direction of the fulcrurn shaft 13.` Running on the rod 32 is a series of bored out barrel-shaped gun-metal elements 34 having the centre portions of their bores enlarged to permit said barrelshaped elements 34 to rotate freely on the rod 32 in spite of the curvature of the latter. Over the elements 34 is a close fitting flexible rubber sleeve 3S fixed at each end by screws 36 to a gun-metal cap 37, the latter being bored out to rotate freely on the rod 32.

ln processing a fabric upon a jig the fabric is usually given several passes or ends from one roll to the other through the liquor. In practice it is often found unnecessary to traverse the expander bar during every end.

Thus operation during alternate ends is often sufficient, kthe dog clutch 28 enabling this to be done readily.

Having described our invention, what we desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for effecting staggered winding of a textile fabric, comprising a driven winding roll, an ex pander bar for expanding a fabric to its full width as it is fed to the roll, and means for traversing the expander bar to and fro in the general direction of the length of the bar simultaneously with rotation of the roll.

2. Apparatus according to claim l wherein the expander bar is a curved roller, and means are provided for mounting said roller for free rotation to bear against a fabric as the latter is fed to the winding roll.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the winding roll and the expander bar traversing means are provided with a common drive means to impart one complete cycle,v of traverse to the expander bar for each revolution of the Winding roll.

4. A dye jigY comprising a liquor container, horizontal let-off roll for carrying a fabric, a horizontal winding roll for receiving and winding a fabric delivered from the let-off roll after passing through the liquor container, an expander bar generally parallel to said winding roll for expanding the fabric to its full width as it approaches the winding roll, and means for traversing the expander bar to and fro inthe general` direction of the length of the bar simultaneously with rotation of the winding roll.

5. A dye` jig accordingto claim 4 wherein the winding rollY and the expander bar traversing means are provided with a common drive means. to impart one complete cycle of, traverse tothe expander bar for each revolution of the winding, roll.

6V.- A dye jig according to claim 4, wherein the expander bar is a curved roller, and means are provided for mounting said roller for free rotation to bear against the fabric as the latter is fed to the winding roll.

7. A dye jig according to claim 4, comprising a horizontal shaft disposed above and symmetrically with respect to the rolls, a pair of arms carried by said shaft and supporting the expander bar at their lower extremities, contacting means connected to said arms, a pair of T- shaped members carried by said shaft and pivoted there on substantially about the junctions of the arms of the Ts, the arms forming the tails of the T-shaped members being substantially horizontal and weighted whereby they tend to rotate said T-shaped members and thereby bring another pair of the arms of the T-shaped members into abutment with the contacting means of the supporting arms of the expander bar and urge said expander bar against a fabric approaching one roll, while the third pair of arms can, by rotating the T-shaped members and weights through 180, urge the expander bar against a fabric approaching the other roll, and said traversing means comprising a camand follower device for traversing said shaft, Tshaped members, supporting arms and expander bars.

8. A dye jig according to claim 4, comprising a horizontal shaft disposed above and symmetrically with respect to the rolls, a pair of arms carried by said shaft and supporting the expander bar at their lower extremities, contacting means connected to said arms, a pair of T-shaped members carried by said shaft and pivoted thereon substantially about the junctions of the arms of the Ts, the arms forming the tails of the T-shaped members being substantially horizontal and weighted whereby they tend to rotate said T-shaped members and thereby bring another pair of the arms of the T-shaped niembers into abutment with the contacting means of the supporting arms. of the expander bar and urge said expander bar against a fabric approaching one roll, while the third pair of arms can, by rotating the T-shaped members and weights through 180, urge the expander bar against a fabric approaching the other roll, and said traversing means comprising a cam and follower device for traversing said shaft, T-shaped members, supporting arms and expander bar, and common drive means for said winding roller and cam and follower device to impart one complete cycle of traverse to the expander bar for each revolution of the winding roll.

9. A dye jig according to claim 8, wherein. the expander bar is a curved roller, and means are provided for mounting said roller for free rotation to bear against a fabric as the latter is fed to the winding roll.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,598,627 Voegeli Sept. 7, 1926. 2,353,653 Croft et al. Iuly 18, 194,4 2,393,191 Robertson Ian. 1'5, 1.946 

